This past week we entered the Season of Lent with Ash Wednesday. Our school Mass was celebrated on our North Campus and it was so beautiful to see the children helping to lead our worship. At the end of Mass, the 2nd year children were invited to come forward, and they and the crosses they […]
Before entering Jerusalem for the last time, Jesus tried, once more, to prepare the apostles for what was about to happen. As usual, He spoke in parables, this time referring to a grain of wheat and how that seed must die so that more life, much life, an abundance of life, might come (John 12:24).
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During the season of Lent, one of the most popular materials in the Children’s House (Level I) and Lower Elementary (Level II) Atria is the City of Jerusalem. With this material the children are introduced to and continue to ponder the events of Holy Week. Beginning during Lent in their second year in the Level
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The Cenacle or Upper Room is the traditional way of referring to the location in which the Last Supper took place in the City of Jerusalem. In the Atrium, children as young as three are introduced to the feast of Passover as a special celebration in which the Jewish people eat the same foods and
What a gift to continue our celebrations! The world has moved on, but we continue to rejoice and celebrate the great gift of Jesus, God and man, one of us yet God Himself! Here are a few “treats” from the children… The Prophecy of the Birthplace (Micah 5:1a) Catechist: “Bethlehem is ‘least.’ What else is
Our Final Week of Christmas Read More »
In the past forty-eight hours of being back in the US, I have had many people ask me about my time away. The past two weeks contained many, many experiences that I will likely never have words for. God speaks in the heart with His own language, affirming and confirming, loving and teaching, healing and
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Matthew 13:45-46: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.” Seeing a 5-year-old returning the “Pearl of Great Price” material to the shelf, the catechist commented, “I wonder why Jesus told
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Dr. Montessori observed that young children are in a time of particular sensitivity to specific parts of the environment. These “sensitive periods,” as she called them, are characterized by interest, concentration, and repetition. They leave the child refreshed and energized even though the activity in which the child is involved may be intense and prolonged. Four
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In presenting the Parable of the Good Shepherd to the children, one of the questions that is always asked regards the identity of the sheep. Jesus is very clear in revealing that He is the Good Shepherd…but He leaves us (and we leave the children!) the opportunity to discover who these sheep are that have
After receiving the presentation on the Parable of the Good Shepherd at the age of three, and having had plenty of time to come back and work with the material, the child is invited to listen to the Parable of the Found Sheep in order to hear more about this Good Shepherd and His love
